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Thera 2.23: Sobhita
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(143):Sobhita Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =143. Sobhita= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Savatthī, in a brahmin's family, he was named Sobhita. And after he had heard the Lord(Buddha) teach, had left the world(for monkhood) and acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge), he practised recollecting his former lives with such success that the Lord(Buddha) ranked him foremost among those who could so remember.1 And he, reflecting on his pre-eminence in attainment, was filled with joy, and breathed forth this saying(gatha): ---- 165 Satimā paññavā bhikkhu āraddhabalavīriyo,|| Pañcakappasatānāhaɱ ekarattiɱ anussariɱ.|| || 166 Cattāro satipaṭṭhāne sattaaṭṭha ca bhāvayaɱ,|| Pañcakappasatānāhaɱ ekarattiɱ anussarinti.|| || ---- 165 A bhikkhu(monk) mindful, gifted with insight, With strenuous effort strongly set to work, Have I infinite past recalled to mind: Five hundred ages in a single night. 166 O let the Onsets Four of mindfulness2 My study be, the Seven,3 the (noble) Eight!4 For I infinite past have recalled to mind: Five hundred aeons in a single night. ---- 1 Ang., i. 25. Sister Bhadda Kapilani was also thus distinguished (Sisters, p. 47). Sobhita Thera (possibly this man) was the third in the apostolic succession of thirteen Abhidhammikas, who handed down this teaching till Mahinda conveyed it to Ceylon. Bhaddaji Thera was second. (Atthasālinī, p. 32). 2 See Dialogues, ii. 327 ff.; Compendium, p. 179. Bhāvayaṃ = bhāvanā hotu (Commentary). 3 Factors of Enlightenment, Wings of Wisdom (Compendium, p. 180). 4 The Eightfold Path (iremain.). ---- =2.3-3 143 Commentary on the stanza of Sobhitatthera= The stanza starting with Satinā paññavā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Sobhita. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious acts in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home, in the city of Haṃsavatī, at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara: on having come of age, as he was listening to the teaching of truth (dhamma) by the Master, he noticed the Master placing a monk at the foremost position among the monks who were gainers of knowledge of former abodes, himself made an aspiration concerning (uddissa) that ranking position, did meritorious deeds, wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths in excellent existences only and was reborn in a brahmin family at the time of the Blessed One Sumedha. On having attained the age of intelligence, he reached proficiency in the arts and sciences of the brahmins, became especially emancipated by renunciation, gave up his household life, became a hermit-recluse, had a hermitage built in a forest region near the Himavanta hill, kept on nourishing himself (yāpento) with forest roots and fruits big and small, heard about the appearance of buddha, approached the Master at the city of Bhaddavatī, staying but just one night only everywhere, became pious-minded and specially made his praise of Him with six stanzas starting with “Tuvaṃ satthā ca ketu ca (you are Master as well as the banner):” the Master also revealed his future prosperity. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirhts, among divine and human beings, and was reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthi when this Buddha arose. They named him Sobhita. On subsequent occasion, he listened to the truth (dhamma) taught by the Master, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge. He was also one who had reached mastership (ciṇṇavasī) in the knowledge of former abodes. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “In the south side of Himavanta, my hermitage was well made. In quest of the most excellent welfare I lived then in the forest. With gainfulness and gainlessness I was contented with roots and fruits. In continuous quest of a teacher, I dwelt all alone. There and then, there arose in the world the self-awakened Buddha Sumedha; pulling out the multitude He revealed the fourfold noble truths. I did not hear of the self-awakened Buddha; neither did any body point me out also; when eight years had gone past, I heard of the leader of the world. Having taken out firewood and swept clean my hermitage, I collected a basket- full of burden (khāribhāraṃ) and came away from the forest. Abiding a night in villages and market towns, I then approached eventually Candavatī. On that occasion, the Blessed One Sumedha, the leader of the world was showing the immortal path pulling out many living beings. Having gone beyond the big body of people, I paid my homage to the ocean of conquerors; having made my single shoulder bare in wear- ing my entelope skin, I made my good praise of the leader of the world. You are Master as well as banner, the flag and palace (yūpo) of living beings; you are the relief (parāya- na) and support (patiṭṭhā) as well as the island, the most excellent of bipeds. You, the experienced (nepuñño), the hero in insight (dassanevīro) send across the multitude of men. There exists no other transporter (tārako) in the world; O Sage! You are the best trans- porter (uttaritaro). Possible it is to measure (pametuṃ) the largest ocean with the tip of kusa grass, drop by drop (theve); it is but impossible to measure (pametave) your omniscient know- ledge. Having placed on the weight stick of scales (tuladaṇḍa) it is possible to support (dharetave). O Possessor of eye-sight! There is but no measurement of your wisdom. It is possible to have the sky measured either with a rope or with a finger; O Omniscient Buddha! It is but impossible to measure your moral precept (sīla). Water in the large ocean, the sky as well as the earth; these are thoroughly measurable; O Possessor of Eyesight! You are immeasurable. Having proclaimed the fully famous omniscient Buddha by means of six stanzas, I then stood in silence having lifted up my clasped hands. Buddha Sumedha was such that people speak of Him as widely wise (bhūripañña) and very wise (Sumedhasa). He sat Himself down amidst the clergy of monks and spoke these stanzas: I shall announce about him who pro- claimed my knowledge with his mind clearly pleased with piousness; when I am thus speaking you all listen. He will enjoy himself in the divine world for seventyseven aeons (kappa). A thousand times he will be a divine king and exercise celestial sovereignty. Many a hundred times, he will be a world- king; his regional rulership will be so abundant that their occasions will be numerically incalculable. Whether he would be a divine-being or a human-being, he wil be well composed with meritorious deeds, with no decrease in his mental plannings (saṅkappo) and keen wisdom (tikkhapañño). Thirty thousand aeons (kappa) hence, there will be the Master in the world, born of the family of Okkāka and named Gotama by clan. He will specially leave his household and become a monk, having nothing (akiñcano); he will achieve (phusissati) Arahantship within seven years from his birth. Ever since I remember myself, from the time I arrived at the dispensation, (sāsanaṃ), during the period here, I do not know of my volition (cetanaṃ) that is not joyful to my mind. Having wandered about my rounds of repeated rebirths in all existences, I enjoyed prosperity (sampattiṃ). There had been no decrease in my wealth; this is the fruitful result of my praise of Buddha’s knowledge. My three fires had been extinguished; all existence had been removed. All my cankers had been thoroughly exhausted, there is now no more new existence. It was thirty thousand aeons ago, that I praised the knowledge (of Buddha), I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of praising the knowledge (of Buddha). My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, attained Arahantship, remembering his own former abodes according to their successive serial order, came to find out up to the extent of his mindless conception in the existence of the brahmā without perception (asañña). Thereafter, not having seen the occurrence of mind for five hundred aeons (kappa) and having notices but what remained, he on reflecting why it was, came to the conclusion (niṭṭha), by way of method (naya) thus: “It must be the existence of non-perception (asaññā).” On that account the Blessed One said thus: “O monks! There is the abode of long living divine-beings known as Asaññatta, the state of non-perception; having passed away from there, Sobhita sprang up here; he knows this existence; Sobhita does remember.” When he recollects in this manner by way of method (naya), the Master, on having seen his cleverness in remembering, placed him at the foremost position among those who remember their former abodes. This venerable Thera, but thereafter, having reflected upon his own knowledge of remembering his former existence as well as his proper attainment (paṭipatti) which had become its dependent origination (paccaya), became delighted and spoke two stanzas, making solemnly his joyous utterance, illuminating its meaning (tadattha dīpanaṃ). 165. “I, the monk, who poaaessed mindfulness (sati) and wisdom, with vigourous exr- tion well begun (āroddha) recollected in a single night five hundred aeons (kappa). 166. “Developing the four foundations of awareness, the seven (elements of enlightenment) and the eight (elements of right path), I recollected in a single night five hundred aeons (kappa). There, satimā means: possessed of awareness for himself to be endowed with receipt (samudāgamana) of all-round fulfillment of developing the foundations of awareness, as well as for the attainment of abundance of awareness (sativepulla). Paññavā means: possessor of wisdom for the all-round fulfillment of six sorts of higher knowledge and for the attainment of abundance of wisdom. bhikkhu(monk) means a monk because of the state of his depravity having been broken. Āracchabalavīriyo means for the well-made accompleshment (saṃsiddhi) and all-round fulfillment of such vigour as faith (saddhā) and so on, as well as of the exertion of the four forms of right effort (sammappadhāna). Indeed, here, there is taking (gahanaṃ) of faith and so on with the seizure of vigour (balaggaṇena) althought when there exists the state of strenght (balabhāva) of awareness (sati) and so on; according as: “Gobalibaddha puññañāṇasumbhāra (ox and bull, collocation of merit and knowledge).” Pañcakappasatanahaṃ ekarattiṃ anussariṃ means: I recollected as if it were one-night. Here, the grammatical word viya is indicatied as had been elided (luttaniddiṭṭho; by means of this he illuminates the state of his own masterly knowledge in the knowledge of remembering his former abodes. Now, he spoke the second stanza, starting with “cattāro” in order to show that proper practice (paṭipatti) by which his own accomplishment has been made together with the excellence (sātisayaṃ) in the knowledge of former abodes also after having become possessed of awareness (sati) and so on. There, cattāro satipaṭṭhane means: in such establishment of awareness as contemplating on the body (kāya) and so on, and on the four different mixed matters of mundane and (supermundane character reckoned as awareness by the classification of one’s own sphere (visayabheda). Satta means: seven elements of enlightment (bojjhaṅga). Aṭṭha means: the eight elements of patha (maggaṅga); indeed, seven elements of enlightenment (bojjhaṅga) but came to have arrived at all-round fulfilled development of the mind which has been well established in the establishment of awareness (satipaṭṭhāna); likewise, the noble eightfold path (ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo). On that account, the commander-in-chief of the truth (dhamma) said; “Catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacutta sattabojjhaṅge yathābhūtaṃ bhāvetvā (those who are well-established-minded in the four establishments of awareness (satipaṭṭhāna), having developed the seven elements of enlightenment (bojjhaṅga) according to the truth (yathābhūtaṃ)” and so on: when an all-round fulfillment (pāripūriṃ) of development (bhāvanā) is reached (gacchante) in one part (koṭṭhāsa) of the seven hares or in the thirty seven qualities contrubuting to enlightenment (bodhipakkhiyadhamma), there is no such thing as not reaching other parts (itare). Bhāvayaṃ means: the cause (hetu) of development (bhāvanā). The rest is but in the manner said. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Sobhita is complete. ----